US2081531A

US2081531A - Soft ball

Info

Publication number: US2081531A
Application number: US45903A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert E Fegan
Original assignee: Geo Young & Co
Current assignee: Geo Young & Co
Priority date: 1935-10-21
Filing date: 1935-10-21
Publication date: 1937-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1954-05-25

Description

A. E. FEGAN 7 May 25, 1937.

SOFT BALL Filed Oct. 21

y W; 3 2. "TM" @2 an ,7 W J m m Patented ay 25, 193? when aesassi sor'r cam.

Illinois Application Gctober 21, 1935, Serial No. cases 2 Claims.

) This invention relates to soft balls such as are also known as indoor, pastime or playground balls.

Prior to i924 the most approved soft balls for 5 indoor baseball and the like comprised an inner section of goat hair compacted into spherical form and held by a winding of cotton yarn; a

surrounding coating or layer of horse hair also held in shape by a winding of cotton yarn, and anouter cover of leather cut in two parts, suitably stitched together along their abutting margins.- In balls of this character, which ranged from twelve to seventeen inches in circumference, the circumference of the inner section or core of a fourteen inch ball was substantially eleven and a half inches. The circumference of the layer surrounding such core, without the leather cover, was about thirteen and a half or three-quarters inches. A finished ball of this size weighed eight to nine ounces. In practical use, it was-found that this ball was too heavy, and did not have the desired resiliency.

In order toreduce the weight of such balls and to promote livelier action, I produced the ball shown and described in my Patent No. 1,546,483, July 21, l925.-comprising a core composed of cork and a rubber binder, a layer of horse hair and an outer cover. This ball was lighter and livelier than balls theretofore known.

In an endeavor to still further lighten the weight, ,to insure truer flight and increased livelinms, and to avoid softening and distortion of the balls heretofore known, I have devised the ball of the present invention. Heretofore, a layer of hair, preferably horse hair, located between the cover and core, had always been deemed 'esshow the interior construction of the ball.

In that embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the core of the ball is composed of cork orother resilient material In in granular form, the particles being mixed with a suitable binding material ll such as a liquid rubber cement. Hog-hair I! may be mixed with the cork ll, if desired. The mass is pressed into spherical and the several layers partially turned back to form and is almost as large in diameter as the finished ball.

The core, after being compressed and dried, is wrapped with wool or cotton yarn 13, or with both wool and cotton yarn, sufficient yarn being used to thoroughly cover the core. Then the wrapped core is dipped in latex M which is allowed to dry at room temperature. The dipping preferably is conducted so that the latex does not impregnate all the yarn, for excess latex adds to the weight of the ball. However, a layer ht of latex covers the outer yarn wrappings and adheres to portions of the inner wrappings and core so as to bind the whole together.

A cover l5 of leather or other suitable material is stitched to enclose the internal parts of the ball.

The construction described results in reducing the weight of a ball, twelve inches in circumference, to six ounces, whereas heretofore a ball of the size stated weighed at least six and onehalf ounces. Furthermore, the substitution of a unitary structure made of cork and binder, wrapped in yarn and bound to the core by means of a substance such as latex, for the cork core and non-adhering horse hair layer of the prior art, has resulted in obviating the objections due to softening of the hair, dislocation of the core, distortion of shape, and greater weight.

Charges may be made in details of construction without departing from the scope of my invention and I- do not intend to be limited to the exact form shown and described, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A soft ball comprising a spherical core composed of small particles of resilient material and a binder pressed together and dried, said core being almost as large in diameter as the finished ball,a wrapping of yarn just suflicient to cover the core, a layer of latex adhering to and covering the outer wrappings of the yarn and penetrating the wrapping at points to unite it to the core,

and an outer cover enclosing the whole and frictlonally engaged by said latex covering.

2. A soft ball comprising a spherical core composed of small particles of resilient material, such as cork, with a small quantity of hog hair mixed with the cork, and a binder pressed together and dried, said core being almost as large in diameter as the finished ball, a wrapping of yarn just sufllcient to cover the core, a layer of latex adhering to and covering the outer wrappings of the yarn and penetrating the wrapping at points to unite it to the core. and an outer cover enclosing the whole and frictionally engaged by said latex covering.

. ALBERT E. BEGAN.